Onward with Quality
Date: May 21 2025
CAB InsiderIt’s been a quality-rich season in the fed cattle business with added days on feed and heavier weights continue to push quality grades higher.
Category: CAB Insider
It’s Beef Month
Date: May 07 2025
CAB InsiderWholesale and retail beef buyers have been preparing for weeks ahead of the spike in consumer beef buying associated with warmer weather and holiday grilling demand.
USDA Prime Eclipses Select
Date: Apr 24 2025
CAB InsiderIn a twist unthinkable just two decades ago, USDA data reveals that the current percentage of Prime carcasses has averaged 11.9%, surpassing Select carcasses that are averaging 11.1%, in each of the last five weeks.
Carcass Quality Spreads Pop
Date: Mar 26 2025
CAB InsiderHigh quality steak and roast items such as ribeyes, strip loins, tenderloins and sirloins carry an outsized share of the load when it comes to generating pricing separation up and down the carcass quality spectrum.
Chuck and Round Cutout Contribution Increases
Date: Mar 13 2025
CAB InsiderIn the past two years the chuck and round carcass primals have edged their way upward relative to their contribution to total carcass value. One of the primary reasons for this is the decline in domestic supply of lean grinding beef from cull cows.
CAB Drives Brand Relevance with Specification Update
Date: Feb 26 2025
CAB InsiderEvolution of cattle type, management technology and production economics continue to shape the beef business. As a pioneer in the branded beef space, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand has remained relevant throughout the supply chain via continued innovation. Effective the first week of March, the brand will modify its ribeye area (REA) specification from the current 10 to 16 square inch acceptable range to include carcasses wth ribeyes measuring up to 17 square inches.
Prime Trends Up
Date: Feb 12 2025
CAB Insider & Premium PotentialAs Prime supplies leapt higher in 2018, continually increasing, the retail grocery sector woke up to the fact that Prime beef cuts could be accessed dependably throughout the year. Prime was no longer reserved for only the high-end restaurant customer. Simply put, creating availability at the grocery level unlocked consumer demand where it hadn’t been tapped before.
Seasonal Shifts in Beef Item Demand
Date: Jan 29 2025
CAB InsiderSeasonal demand shifts for different cuts constantly change the percentage of total carcass value that each cut represents. Often those changes are subtle, but January is typically characterized by more dramatic adjustments with contribution from several cuts shifting total carcass value.
2024 Regional Premiums and Discounts
Date: Jan 15 2025
CAB Insider & Premium PotentialLaunched in early August 2024, the USDA’s Live Cattle Mandatory Reporting dashboard is still a relatively new tool. The purpose of the web platform is to keep market participants informed of trends in price distribution across regions and between differing quality and yield classes of cattle.
Holiday Demand Lift
Date: Dec 04 2024
CAB InsiderThe boxed beef market is nearing the conclusion of the final price push for high demand middle meats. The window is quickly closing on wholesale orders that will ship in time for consumers to shop ahead of the Christmas holiday.